Human School

Have you ever felt like you're performing your life instead of actually living it? Today, Miles Adcox sits down with pastor, author, and communicator Judah Smith for a conversation about confidence, criticism, and the courage it takes to lead with gentleness in a world that rewards strength. Judah grew up as a seventh-generation pastor, watching his father build a church from 20 people in a Courtyard Marriott to a thriving community. But what shaped Judah most wasn't the legacy—it was his father telling him from age seven: "People like you, and they want to hear what you have to say."  This conversation goes deep into the duplicity that haunts anyone in the public eye—the chasm between who we are on stage and who we are at home.  The label "celebrity pastor" gets unpacked as Judah shares what it's really like to be a safe place for public figures while his own profile grows, navigating interviews that aren't about his message but about his friends. Miles reflects on one of the saddest realities for well-known people: they lose the ability to ever make a first impression again. Everyone makes up a story about who they are before they even open their mouth.  From breaking tennis rackets to breaking down barriers, from his dad getting on his knees to ask his son to pray for him before he died to parenting his own kids with radical repair instead of toxic comparison, Judah reveals what it means to stop performing and start participating. He shares his preparation method—studying himself full, praying himself hot, and letting himself go—and why he imagines the life story of a stranger in the audience before every sermon. Miles and Judah discuss why the best family moments happen in the environment of repair and why artists are the ones who bring us together when the world gets polarized. In this conversation, you'll learn:How Confidence Gets Built (Or Broken) in ChildhoodHow to Stop Performing and Start Being YourselfHow to Close the Gap Between Public and PrivateHow to Handle Criticism Without Becoming DefensiveHow Repair Defeats Comparison in ParentingHow to Prepare Without OverthinkingHow to Love Your Audience More Than Your MessageHow to Separate the Human From What They DoHow to Lose the Ability to Make a First ImpressionHow to Reach Out to People Who've Hurt YouHow to Make the Table Big Enough for Everyone Welcome to Human School, where we learn what matters most.Miles Adcox Join the Human School community at humanschool.com for exclusive content, resources, and conversations that support the betterment of humanity. Follow Human School:YouTube - Human School PodcastInstagram - @humanschoolofficialThreads - @humanschoolofficialTikTok - @humanschoolofficial What We Discuss:00:00 Intro - Welcome to Human School03:41 Playing Tight End at a Small School: Graduating With 94 People06:42 Why Judah Quit Football for Tennis (And Basketball)08:43 Where the Drive to Be the Best Comes From09:11 "People Like You and Want to Hear What You Have to Say" 12:17 The Day Confidence Broke14:59 His Dad's Response20:46 Meeting People Where They Really Are, Not Where You Think They Are24:50 "I Didn't Believe I Was Smart" 27:48 Imagining the Life of a Stranger in the Audience Before Every Sermon30:24 The Human Behind the Craft: How Does It Serve You?36:58 "Here's Where I Get It Wrong Sometimes"41:14 Working With Celebrities51:04 Handling Criticism01:07:12 Repair, Not Compare01:15:39 Losing His Dad at 3001:35:26 Why Storytellers Need More Grace and Less Comparison

Have you ever been so stuck in your past that you couldn't see your future?   What if the person you used to be is the exact reason you can help someone else become who they're meant to be?   Today, Miles Adcox sits down with Grammy-nominated artist and advocate Jelly Roll for a raw, unfiltered conversation about redemption, rage, and the messy road from rock bottom to purpose. From stealing TVs from bars to pay his band, to being intoxicated in sketchy venues, to the moment his daughter was born while he was locked up in Davidson County Jail—Jelly Roll's journey isn't polished or easy. Known for vulnerable songs like "Save Me" and "I Am Not Okay," Jelly Roll has transformed his wounds into songs that give millions permission to admit they're struggling too.   This conversation goes places most interviews don't dare. Jelly Roll opens up about his affair with his wife Bunny, calling it "one of the worst moments of my adulthood," and shares how they've rebuilt their relationship stronger than ever through repair and presence. He reveals his ongoing battle with food addiction and how he is overcoming it day by day. They discuss his Damascus Road moment in jail when he learned his daughter Bailey was born, the rage that was his default emotion, and how signing up for the GED program while surrounded by convicts became his first act of humility.   Miles and Jelly Roll explore the power of changing your circle — how, when you hang around nine people long enough, you become the tenth.   The conversation reveals Jelly Roll's purpose work—why walking into jails and juvenile detention centers is where he feels most relaxed and most alive. They discuss the Jericho program, Sheriff Darren Hall's grace in placing him in the education unit despite his charges, and how that decision changed the entire trajectory of his life.   From the Grand Ole Opry to WWE SummerSlam training, from IVF struggles with surrogacy to buying an entire farm after his Onsite experience, from the pre-show prayer that evolved from bar fights to the basketball court where he values assists over baskets—this conversation reveals the human behind the headlines. Jelly Roll shares his father's profound prayer story about a difficult coworker named John, teaching that prayer often changes us more than it changes our circumstances. Miles offers his own two-word prayer for the broken: "Whatever" in the morning, "Enough" at night.   In this conversation, you'll learn: How Your Default Emotion Shapes Your Life Story How to Pick Up the Mirror Instead of the Microscope How to Sign Up for Change Even When It Looks Like Weakness How to Build Trust When Trust Doesn't Come Cheap How the People Around You Become Who You Are How to Repair Relationships Instead of Just Ripping Them Apart How to Reset, Reconnect, and Repair in Real Time How Prayer Changes You More Than Your Circumstances How to Read the Bible Without the Box of Organized Religion How to Stay Connected to Where You Came From How to Be Present When Your Business Demands You Be Absent How to Fight Food Addiction With Physical Resets How to Find Your Purpose in the Place Everyone Else Avoids How to Navigate Success When You Never Expected to Arrive   Welcome to Human School, where we learn what matters most. By Miles Adcox   Follow Human School  YouTube - Human School Podcast Instagram - @humanschoolofficial Threads - @humanschoolofficial TikTok - @humanschoolofficial

Welcome to The Human School — a place to learn what we were never taught about being human. Hosted by Miles Adcox, emotional wellness expert and CEO of Onsite, this podcast explores the lessons that shape our relationships, purpose, and growth. Through honest conversations and real-life stories, Miles invites guests and listeners alike to slow down, look inward, and discover how to live, love, and lead with more intention and compassion. Because being human isn’t something we master — it’s something we practice.